Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons there was a reduction in the net budget for immigration enforcement between 2015-16 and 2019-20; and what assessment her Department has made of the effect on immigration enforcement of the change in the level of that budget.

In accordance with all other government departments, the Home Office continually looks for ways to reduce costs, so as to improve efficiency and deliver better value for money for taxpayers.

Immigration Enforcement has been able to significantly reduce costs whilst not adversely impacting upon our core ability to tackle illegal migration by implementing a long-term rationalisation of the immigration detention estate and introducing new, more efficient, technology.